The first steps in providing abortion care are to establish that the woman is indeed pregnant and, if so, to estimate the duration of the pregnancy and confirm that the pregnancy is intrauterine. The risks associated with induced abortion, though small when abortion is properly performed, increase with the duration of pregnancy. Determination of the length of pregnancy is a critical factor in selecting the most appropriate abortion method, and determines the content of the information and counselling to be given to women prior to abortion. Every health-service-delivery point should have staff who are trained and competent to take the woman's medical history and perform a bimanual pelvic and an abdominal examination to accurately assess pregnancy and its duration. Health-care centres that are not staffed and equipped to provide induced abortion must be able to refer women promptly to the nearest services with minimal delay
At a minimum, a woman must be given information on:
If a choice of abortion methods is available, healthcare providers should be trained to give women clear information about which methods are appropriate, based on the duration of pregnancy and the woman's medical condition, as well as potential risk factors and the advantages and disadvantages of each available method. Women are more likely to find a method of abortion acceptable if they have chosen it themselves . Having a choice of methods is seen as extremely important by the majority of women undergoing abortion. Several studies suggest, however, that women who choose medical abortion find it more acceptable at earlier gestations when compared with later gestations
